|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2005 9:45 pm
In English, we have all sorts of little sayings called proverbs, things like "a penny saved is a penny earned," "look before you leap," "getting a piece of the pie" If you tried to translate these things into Japanese, you may get looks because they have their own ways of saying these things.
Some proverbs are similar to their english counterparts.
Isseki nichoo is literally "one stone, 2 birds" so it's very close to our saying "killing 2 birds with one stone"
Other sayings are very different:
Kaeru no ko wa kaeru
literally: the son of a frog is a frog
eng. equivalent: like father like son
Neko ni koban
lit: giving gold to a cat
eng equi: cast pearls before a swine (wasting your money)
Goo ni itte wa goo ni shitagae
lit: obey the customs of the village
eng: When in Rome, do as the Romans do
Ame futte jikatamaru
lit: the ground gets firm after the rain
eng: the darkest hour is just before dawn: things will get better.
Please post more if you come across them!
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2005 8:20 pm
Kon'ya no shiro bakama.
Lit: Those who die clothes wear white.
Eng: The shoemaker's children go barefoot
Saru mo ki kara ochiru.
Lit:Even monkeys fall from trees.
Eng: Anyone can make a mistake.
Hstake kara hamaguri wa torenu.
Lit:You can't get clams from a field.
Eng: You can't get blood from a stone.
Sendo uko shite fune yama ni noboru.
Lit: Too many skippers bring the boat to the mountain.
Eng: Too many cooks spoil the soup.
Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru.
Lit: Even dust amassed will grow into a mountain.
Eng: Great oaks from little acorns grow.
Koi to seki to wa kakusarenu.
Lit: Love and a cough cannot be hidden.
Eng: Love conquers all.
Yanagi ni kaze.
Lit: A will before the wind.
Eng: Follow the path of least resistance.
Nana korobi ya oki.
Lit: Fall down seven times, get up eight.
Eng: If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
Heso o kamedomo oyobanu.
Lit: It's no good trying to bite off your navel.
Eng: Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2005 10:09 pm
must . . . revive . . . kotowaza thread . . .
There's more!
ishibashi o tatai te wataru
Tap a stone bridge before you cross
eng; look before you leap
I no naka no kawazu taikai o shirasu.
A frog in the well doesn't know the ocean
eng: living in a fishbowl.
Manaita no ue no koi
Carp on a cutting board
eng: doomed, head on a chopping block
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 9:35 pm
I remember seeing that one about even monkeys fall from trees, but I also remember another one that I haven't seen someone put down.
一期一会 ichi go ichi e
(for this time only, never again, one chance in a lifetime)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2005 10:24 pm
These are really cool thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2005 11:07 am
Baka ni tsukeru kusuri ha nai
Lit: There is no medicine to cure stupidity
Eng: Once a fool, always a fool.
Koketsu ni irazumba koji o ezu.
Lit: You cannot catch a tiger's cub unless you enter the tiger's den
Eng: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Iwanu ga hana
Lit: not-speaking is the flower
Eng: Silence is golden
Juunin to iro
Lit: Ten people, ten colors
Eng: Everyone has their own tastes
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 24, 2005 4:07 pm
"One cannot hide from the hidden"
I don't know what the English equivalent would be. sweatdrop
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:33 pm
Suki koso mono no jyouzu nare
Lit: If you like something, you will be good at it.
Toranu tanuki no kawazanyou
Lit: Counting tanuki skins before you've caught them.
Eng: Don't count your chickens before they hatch.
Ishi no ue ni mo sannen
Lit:Even on a rock for three years.
Eng:Be persistant (I know there's an english one for this...)
Isoga ba maware
Lit: If you're in a hurry, go around.
Sorry, I don't know the English equivilants very well...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 8:43 pm
I just had a proverb in my skit today for my class.
It was "kawa mukou ni kaji" lit. "fire on the other side of the river" basically meaning "not my problem." I was a total jerk for my skit, it was sweet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 11:37 pm
And... an important one to note:
出る釘は打たれる
(deru kugi wa utareru )
Literal translation: The nail which stands out will be hammered.
Meaning: One should not stick out too much from those around them.
Not sure what an english equivalent would be, but the "meaning" is what the statement is trying to get across.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2005 11:39 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2005 7:30 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2005 11:24 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Apr 21, 2005 1:33 pm
Seldaara "One cannot hide from the hidden"
I don't know what the English equivalent would be. sweatdrop I guess that could be a way of saying, "What you don't know can't hurt you." I dunno, just guessing. sweatdrop ~Masaki
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
